View source for Daytona Beach and Road Course

{{short description|Motorsport track in the United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox motorsport venue|
  Nicknames         = The Beach |
  Image             = [[Image:N041946.jpg|center|250px]] |
  Location          = [[Ormond Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]], [[Ponce Inlet, Florida|Ponce Inlet]], [[Daytona Beach Shores, Florida|Daytona Beach Shores]], [[Florida]]|
  Opened            = 1902 |
  Closed            = February 23, 1958|
  Owner             = Public |
  Operator          = Closed |
  Events = Site of the second race of the inaugural NASCAR season |
  Miles_first = True |
  Layout1 = Road course|
  Length_km = 5.0 to 6.7 |
  Length_mi = 3.1 to 4.2 |
}}
The '''Ormond Beach and Road Course''' was a [[motorsport]] [[race track]] that was instrumental in the formation of the [[NASCAR|National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing]]. It originally became famous as the location where 15 [[land speed record|world land speed records]] were set.

==Beach and road course==
[[Image:Daytonanorthturn.jpg|thumb|right|A [[restaurant]] now stands near the location of the north turn]]
[[Image:DaytonaBeachMay2006.jpg|thumb|right|The beach in 2006]]

===Track layout===
The course started on the pavement of highway [[State Road A1A (Florida)|A1A]] (at 4511 South Atlantic Avenue, Ponce Inlet {{coord|29.108890|-80.943669|display=inline}}). A restaurant named "Racing's North Turn" now stands at that location. It went south {{convert|2|mi|km|abbr=on}} parallel to the ocean on A1A (S. Atlantic Ave) to the end of the road, where the drivers accessed the beach at the south turn at the Beach Street approach {{coord|29.084705|-80.925566|display=inline}}, returned {{convert|2|mi|km|abbr=out|sigfig=|sp=us}} north on the sandy beach surface, and returned to A1A at the north turn.<ref>[http://volusia.org/history/other.htm Volusia County history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108180151/http://www.volusia.org/history/other.htm |date=2011-01-08 }}</ref> The lap length in early events was {{convert|3.2|mi|km|abbr=on}}, and it was lengthened to {{convert|4.2|mi|km|abbr=on}} in the late 1940s. In the video game ''[[NASCAR Thunder 2004]]'' by [[EA Sports]], the course is shortened to about half its distance, but still shows how the basic course was set up.

===Early events===
On March 29, 1927, Major [[Henry Segrave]] and his [[Sunbeam 1000 hp]] ''Mystery'' set a world [[land speed record]] on the Daytona Beach and Road Course, at {{convert|203.79|mph|kph|abbr=on}}, peaking at a top speed of {{convert|211|mph|kph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=March 30, 1927|title=Major Segrave sets 203.79-mile record; English Racer in Mystery "S" Car Beats Former World Mark by Thirty Miles. Highest speed 211 miles. Big Red Racer Roars by Timing Stana in a Flash, Traveling a Mile in 17 Seconds. Major Segrave sets 203.79-mile record
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1927/03/30/archives/major-segrave-sets-20379mile-record-english-racer-in-mystery-s-car.html|page=1}}</ref><br />
[[Washington, DC]] resident [[Bill France Sr.|William France, Sr.]] was familiar with the history of Daytona. He moved there in 1935 to escape the [[Great Depression]] and he set up a car repair shop.
[[File:DaytonaBeach n041964.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Sig Haugdahl shaking hands with Mayor Guy S. Bailey of Daytona Beach]]
[[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]] officials asked local racer [[Sig Haugdahl]] to organize and promote an automobile race along the {{convert|3.2|mi|km|adj=on|abbr=on}} course in 1936. Haugdahl is credited for designing the track. The city posted a $5,000 purse.<ref name="multiple">''The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan Guide 1998-99'', Bill Fleischman and Al Pearce, 1999.</ref> The ticket-takers arrived at the event on March 8<ref name=malcolm>{{cite web |url=http://volusiahistory.com/malcolm.htm |title=Sir Malcolm Campbell and William H. G. France |work=The Legacy of Speed |publisher=Volusia County Historic Preservation Board and the Volusia County Government |access-date=March 8, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919131457/http://volusiahistory.com/malcolm.htm |archive-date=September 19, 2008 }}</ref> to find thousands of fans already at the track. The sandy turns became virtually impassable, which caused numerous scoring disputes and technical protests. The event was stopped after 75 of 78 laps. Milt Marion was declared the winner by the [[American Automobile Association|AAA]] (the sanctioning body). Second-place finisher Ben Shaw and third-place finisher Tommy Elmore protested the results, but their appeals were overturned. France finished fifth in the event. The city lost a reported $22,000 (${{inflation|US|22,000|1936}} in 2016 dollars),<ref name="multiple" /> and has not promoted an event since.

Haugdahl talked with France, and they talked the Daytona Beach [[Elks Club]] into hosting another event in 1937. The event was more successful, but still lost money.<ref name="multiple" /> Haugdahl did not promote any more events.

France took over the job of running the course in 1938. Two events were held that year. Danny Murphy beat France in the July event, which made $200. France beat Lloyd Moody and Pig Ridings to win the Labor Day weekend event, this time making $20,000.

Three races were held in 1939, and in three races in 1940, France finished fourth in March, first in July, and sixth in September.

[[Lloyd Seay]] finished fourth in the July 27, 1941, event after rolling twice. He returned on August 24 that year to win the event. He was killed by a family member in a dispute over the family moonshine business.

[[Roy Hall (racing driver)|Roy Hall]] won on the course several times.

France was busy planning the 1942 event, until the Japanese bombed [[Pearl Harbor]]; he spent [[World War II]] working at the Daytona Boat Works. Most racing stopped until after the war. Car racing returned to the track in 1946.

===NASCAR formation===
France knew that promoters needed to organize their efforts. Drivers were frequently victimized by unscrupulous promoters who would leave events with all the money before drivers were paid. On December 14, 1947, France began talks at the Ebony Bar at the [[Streamline Hotel]] at [[Daytona Beach, Florida]], that ended with the formation of NASCAR on February 21, 1948. The Daytona Beach and Road Course hosted the premiere event of the fledgling series until [[Darlington Speedway]] was completed in 1950.

[[Image:C022795.jpg|thumb|right|Cars racing down A1A at the 1956 race]]
[[File:Racing at Daytona Beach, Florida (9159397182).jpg|thumb|Cars racing into the north turn (looking south).]]

NASCAR held a modified division race at the track on February 15, 1948. [[Red Byron]] beat [[Marshall Teague (racing driver)|Marshall Teague]]. NASCAR had several divisions in its early years.

===NASCAR race results===
'''1949'''

The first NASCAR [[Strictly Stock Series]] race was held in 1949 at the [[Charlotte Speedway]]. The second race on the series schedule was held at Daytona Beach in July; 28 cars raced, including [[Curtis Turner]], [[Buck Baker]], [[Bob Flock]], [[Fonty Flock]], [[Marshall Teague (racing driver)|Marshall Teague]], [[Herb Thomas]], and second-place finisher [[Tim Flock]]. Red Byron scored for his fourth win at the track in the decade. Byron went on to win the series’ first championship in his 1949 [[Oldsmobile 88#First generation (1949–1953)|Oldsmobile]].

'''1950'''

The Strictly Stock series was renamed the Grand National Series. The race was moved to February, which becomes a tradition still held to this day with the modern [[Daytona 500]]. [[Harold Kite]] won the race in a 1949 [[Lincoln (EL-series)|Lincoln]]. He took the lead on lap 25 when Red Byron pitted with gearshift problems. Kite led the rest of the way. Byron surged from seventh to finish second. A second race was added to the weekend, the {{convert|100|mi|km|adj=on}} Modified Stock race, the day before. Gober Sosebee won.

'''1951'''

Marshall Teague glided his 1951 [[Fabulous Hudson Hornet]] into victory lane for his first career victory. He beat Tim Flock by 1&nbsp;minute and 14&nbsp;seconds. Gober Sosebee won the Modified Stock race for the second year in a row.

'''1952'''

Teague made it two in a row in his 1952 Hudson. He gained the lead on lap two. The race was shortened by two laps because of an incoming tide. Teague won by 1&nbsp;minute and 21&nbsp;seconds over [[Herb Thomas]]. A day earlier, [[Tim Flock]] was flagged the winner at the Modified/Sportsman race, but was disqualified for having wooden rollbars and 2nd place runner up <ref name="multiple"/> [[Jack Smith (American racing driver, born 1924)]] was declared the winner of the Modified/Sportsman race.

'''1953'''

Polesitter Bob Pronger and second-place starter [[Fonty Flock]] had a bet as to who would lead the first lap. They both raced wildly into the north corner. Pronger went too fast into corner, and wrecked his car. Flock had over a one-minute lead in the race, but ran out of gas taking the white flag at the start of the final lap. Flock's teammate pushed his car into the pits. [[Bill Blair (racing driver)|Bill Blair]] passed to win the race in a 1953 Oldsmobile. Flock finished second by 26&nbsp;seconds.

In the {{convert|100|mi|km|adj=on}} Modified/Sportsman race that year, 136 cars started, making it the largest field ever in any NASCAR-sanctioned event. [[Cotton Owens]] was the victor.

'''1954'''

The "[[Speedweeks]]" weekend was expanded to three events, the {{convert|100|mi|km|adj=on}} Sportsmen race, the {{convert|125|mi|km|adj=on}} Modified race, and the {{convert|160|mi|km|adj=on}} main event. Dick Joslin and Cotton Owens won the preliminaries, respectively. Tim Flock finished the main event first, but was disqualified on a minor technicality. Second-place finisher [[Lee Petty]] edged out [[Buck Baker]], and Petty was declared the winner of the main event. Flock became the first driver to have radio contact with his crew.

'''1955'''

The 1955 race was won by [[Fireball Roberts]]. He was later disqualified, so the official win went to Tim Flock. Roberts was disqualified after NASCAR's technical director found [[pushrods]] that were {{convert|0.016|in|mm}} too long.

Preliminary races were won by [[Speedy Thompson]] (100-mile Sportsmen) and [[Banjo Matthews]] (125-mile Modified).

'''1956'''

Tim Flock won his second consecutive Daytona race from the pole in his 1956 [[Chrysler 300 letter series#First Generation|Chrysler C-300]]. The car was owned by legendary NASCAR car owner [[Carl Kiekhaefer]]. He led every lap except for the four after his first pit stop. Charlie Scott became the first African-American to compete in a NASCAR Grand National race, driving another Kiekhaefer-entered Chrysler.

'''1957'''

The three-race weekend was revised with new preliminary formats. The first race was a {{convert|125|mi|km|adj=on}} Modifield/Sportsmen race, and the second was a {{convert|160|mi|km|adj=on}} Late Model Convertible event. Tim Flock and Curtis Turner were the victors.

In the main event, Cotton Owens moved from his third-place starting position to lead the first lap. [[Paul Goldsmith (racing driver)|Paul Goldsmith]] took the lead briefly after {{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=on}} (of {{convert|160|mi|km|abbr=on}}). Goldsmith took the lead back from Owens after Owens pitted after {{convert|94|mi|km|abbr=on}}. Goldsmith's quick pit stop gave him a lead that he maintained until he went out with a blown piston with {{convert|36|mi|km|abbr=on}} left in the race. Owens led the rest of the way for his first career win. The win was the first NASCAR win for [[Pontiac Chieftain|Pontiac]], and the first Grand National race speed average over 100&nbsp;mph (101.541&nbsp;mph).

'''1958'''

Paul Goldsmith started from the pole to win the final event at the course. He drove a Pontiac prepared by [[Ray Fox]]. Curtis Turner finished second, [[Jack Smith (American racing driver, born 1924)|Jack Smith]] was third, and [[Joe Weatherly]] was fourth. Lee Petty, Buck Baker, Fireball Roberts, and Cotton Owens finished in the top 10.

On Friday, [[Banjo Matthews]] won the Sportsmen/Modified race, while on Saturday, Curtis Turner won the {{convert|160|mi|km|adj=on}} Convertible race.

===End of course===
By 1953, it became increasingly complicated to run the race on the beach course due to the rapid urban growth of the Daytona Beach area.<ref name="ISC Archives and Research Center takes a look at DAYTONA 200 history">{{cite web |url=http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Articles/2016/03/Archives-Acccess-DAYTONA-200.aspx |title=ISC Archives and Research Center takes a look at DAYTONA 200 history |publisher=daytonainternationalspeedway.com |access-date=13 January 2022 }}</ref> Hotels were being constructed all along the beachfront. France Sr. knew that a permanent racetrack was needed to hold the large crowds that were gathering for races. He looked for alternatives and negotiated with the city of Daytona Beach to purchase a site near the Daytona airport.<ref name="Bill France Sr.">{{cite web |url=http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=181 |title=Bill France Sr. at the AMA Hall of Fame |publisher=motorcyclemuseum.org |access-date=30 December 2017 }}</ref> He arranged financing and in 1957, construction began on the [[Daytona International Speedway]], a {{convert|2.5|mi|km|adj=on|abbr=on}} [[tri-oval]] circuit with steep bankings that permitted higher speeds.<ref name="ISC Archives and Research Center takes a look at DAYTONA 200 history"/><ref name="Bill France Sr."/>

The Daytona Beach course hosted its last event in 1958 and, in 1959 the first [[Daytona 500]] was held at the new [[superspeedway]]. Daytona Speed Week on the beach course continued through 1961 without using the adjoining public road, with time/distance record attempts held for the standing mile and flying mile in multiple classes. The six fastest stock cars recorded on the beach were 1960 [[Chrysler 300 letter series#1961 300G|Chrysler 300G]] Specials.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

==References==
*[[Orlando Sentinel]]; microfilm (1949–1958)
<references/>

==External links==
{{Commons category|Daytona Beach Road Course}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207125601/http://volusiahistory.com/other.htm History of the Daytona Beach shore]
*[http://www.nascar.com/2002/news/opinion/guest/02/07/france_column/ Bill France, Jr.'s account of races at the track] [https://web.archive.org/web/20120205180044/http://www.nascar.com/2002/news/opinion/guest/02/07/france_column/ archived link]
*[http://jacobsusa.com/cjsspeed/nascar/tracks/daytona_beach_course.htm NASCAR track stats]
*{{Racing-Reference track|Beach_And_Road_Course}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060520195027/http://www.cottonowens.com/Daytona_Beach.html Account of the 1957 Daytona race from winner cottonowens.com]
*[http://www.nieworld.com/special/racing/thatwasthen7.htm Lee Bible’s tragic death] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507205529/http://www.nieworld.com/special/racing/thatwasthen7.htm |date=2006-05-07 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060317221416/http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/22004/ Speed TV article on Daytona’s history]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060615035536/http://www.americanprofile.com/issues/20030406/20030406_2942.asp Profile of Ormond Beach’s racing history]

{{NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racetracks}}

[[Category:Motorsport venues in Florida]]
[[Category:Motorsport in Daytona Beach, Florida]]
[[Category:NASCAR tracks]]
[[Category:Defunct motorsport venues in the United States]]
[[Category:1902 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:1958 disestablishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1902]]